Trucker Phone Distractions Increasing on the Roads

Distracted driving is one of the biggest concerns for drivers – including commercial truck fleets. Whether it is from a hands-free device or hand-held, mobile phones appear to be the leading cause of distracted driving. According to data released in a report by Lytx, Inc., mobile phones are becoming an extreme hazard for the trucking industry.

Lytx, Inc. used in-cab and exterior cab video displays to deliver driver safety and predictive analysis for commercial fleets. It was designed to help commercial fleet managers prevent collisions, better train their drivers, and even reduce the number of injuries associated with accidents. Their DriveCam Program is a tool to help all drivers improve their skills and their safety on the road.

How the Study Worked

The program would capture video inside and outside of the truck any time a risky driving event triggered the camera. The camera would then capture what was happening outside as well as inside the cab to see if they could better predict accidents in the future or train drivers to avoid similar behaviors. These triggering maneuvers were uploaded to the company’s data where they assessed the most common causes of trucks exhibiting dangerous maneuvers on the road.

In October, a list was compiled of the most common distractions captured by those cameras, which determined that the following were responsible for dangerous behaviors on the road:

Hands-free phones – 32%

Hand-held phones – 27%

Eating and drinking – 20%

Outside distractions – 11%

Computer or TV – 10%

Passengers – 1%

The study also showed that drivers who used hands-free devices were distracted even more so than those using handheld devices – only further proving that hands-free doesn’t mean distraction-free.

How Can Drivers Improve Safety on the Roads?

There are things drivers can do to reduce the number of accidents caused by their fleets and improve overall safety. These things include:

Staying Focused – Drivers need to stay focused on the road, which means keeping both hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road ahead, not on a screen.

Dumping All Devices – While drivers may be required to remain in contact with fleet managers, they do not need to risk safety in doing so. Therefore, drivers should ditch their devices – which means putting phones away too – while they are driving. If they must use them, they should wait until they are at their next pit stop or able to pull off to the side of the road.

Plan Ahead – Truck drivers need to plan for the road ahead. That means setting their navigation systems before they start driving, checking in before pulling out, etc. That way they are not fumbling with a device after they are already on the road.

Injured by a Truck? Contact a Florida Truck Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one was involved in an accident with a semi-truck, contact the lawyers at Hancock Injury Attorneys. We can meet with you for a free consultation. Schedule yours at 813-915-1110 or fill out an online contact form.